Showing posts with label season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label season. Show all posts
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Enjoy The Harvest Of The Season
As the Sun enters the sign of Libra, day and night are again in perfect balance. Temperatures begin to drop, leaves begin to fall, and once again, the element of Change moves into our lives. In truth, change is the one constant in the Universe that we can rely on.
Around the time of the Summer Solstice, I set an intention to change my relationship to food. And oh, what changes have ensued.
Transitioning to a raw foods lifestyle has had a significant effect on me physically. My body has let go of roughly 50 pounds; chronic heartburn, fatigue, headaches, and joint pain have vanished.
Perhaps more significant than my bodys physical changes, are the internal changes taking place. Heres a bit of what Ive learned about myself:
Around the time of the Summer Solstice, I set an intention to change my relationship to food. And oh, what changes have ensued.
Transitioning to a raw foods lifestyle has had a significant effect on me physically. My body has let go of roughly 50 pounds; chronic heartburn, fatigue, headaches, and joint pain have vanished.
Perhaps more significant than my bodys physical changes, are the internal changes taking place. Heres a bit of what Ive learned about myself:
- Certain foods trigger the phenomenon of craving for me. Before, my foods came in bags, boxes and cans. My three basic food groups were refined sugar, refined flour and trans fats. Foods falling into those three groups trigger a physical craving for me. I want more, more, more. Eliminate those foods, eliminate the craving.
- The compulsion to overeat is emotional for me. Its all related to how Im feeling. Sad, angry, lonely, tired, bored...Ill turn to food. I have a holy hunger that no amount of food can satiate, because its not a physical hunger. I have to discover ways to feed and nourish my Spirit.
- Certain behaviors can trigger unhealthy food choices for me: eating standing up at the kitchen counter; eating in front of the fridge; eating in the car; eating in front of the television. Eliminate those behaviors, eliminate the risk of making poor choices.
The contents of my kitchen and pantry sure have changed dramatically since the start of last season. Gone are the prepared and processed food items. I am so blessed to live within 20 minutes of a half dozen farmers markets. As I was gazing upon the bevy of fresh local produce I scored this weekend ~ squash, cabbage, lettuce, eggplant, cucumber, collards, tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, apples, pears, grapes ~ I was overcome by the beauty and bounty of the seasons harvest. And, it got me thinking about my own experience of the harvest.
First and foremost: its hard work. We sometimes have the mistaken notion that once weve done the work of preparing the fields, planting the seeds and tending their growth, when harvest time comes, we can sit back and enjoy. But the work doesnt end ~ it just changes, and the important work of gathering in and preserving begins.
Now is the time to look back over the season, at the goal(s) we set, the work we put in, and deciding whether what manifested is what we really intended. It is time to process, to assimilate. Did it work out the way we intended? Whether it did or not, we have gained valuable information. This is stored and becomes part of us and our wisdom grows stronger.
So, we separate the wheat from the chaff ~ what nourishes us stays in the plan to strengthen us, what doesnt is kicked out to the compost pile. Those lessons will fertilize next seasons garden.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Celebrate Peach Season With Baby Arugula And Peach Salad Raw Vegan And Gluten Free!
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| Arugula and peach salad with slivered almonds. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Peaches are in Season
On Sunday you could find peaches at almost every stand at the local farmers market. In Sonoma county, everyone waits for Dry Creek peaches. Last year, while in Colorado, I was introduced to the wonderful Palisades peach. No matter what peach you have access to in your local area, they are a welcome sight when they finally arrive! And they pair beautifully with arugula in this quick and easy salad.
Arugula - A Nutritious Green!
Arugula, also known as rocket, has a peppery and slightly bitter flavor. Some people are put off by the bitterness of arugula while others are drawn to it for that very reason. If you havent acquired a taste for bitter greens quite yet, try mixing them in with spring greens. I must admit, I wasnt always an arugula fan but now I love the taste, especially of delicate baby arugula.
Arugula is packed with nutrients. Its a very good source of vitamin A, C, K, folate, calcium, iron and potassium. It even provides some omega-3 fatty acid! A two ounce serving of arugula is only 14 calories yet it provides:
1328 IU vitamin A
8.4 mg vitamin C
61 mcg vitamin K
54 mcg folate
90 mg calcium
206 mg potassium
.8 mg iron
95 mg omega-3 fatty acid
Arugula and Fresh Peaches
I got the idea of pairing arugula and peaches from a recent recipe in the Press Democrat. Sadly, like so much of the rich food in wine country, they felt compelled to mask the beautiful, natural flavor of these 2 ingredients with prosciutto and goat cheese. I know some of you are saying, "yummm, prosciutto and goat cheese". Well, if those are your favorite food groups - go for it. But heres a light and healthy version of this recipe that I think youll enjoy.
Baby Arugula and Peach Salad
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
2 small peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces baby arugula, cleaned
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cold pressed hemp oil or extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
2 tablespoon slivered almonds (or raw pecans or walnuts)
Place peeled peaches in a small bowl and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
Place arugula in a salad bowl and toss with oil and salt until nicely coated. Transfer to 4 plates.
Divide and mound peaches over arugula along with remaining juices.
Top with nuts and serve.
Per serving (using hemp oil): 103 calories, 6.9 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 863 mg omega-3 and 3368 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.7 g protein, 23.5 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber and 39 mg sodium (plus sodium from added salt).
This recipe is appropriate for use during a raw food cleanse.
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